Ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets in which two or more guns are mounted



Dec. 15, 1925- 1,565.836 T. H. WEBSTER AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FORGUN TURRETS IN WHICH TWO OR MORE GUNS ARE MOUNTED Filed Sept, 14, 1925I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 15, 1925' ,565.836

R GUN TURRETS IN TWO OR MORE GUNS ARE MOUNTED Filed Sept. 14. 1925 T. H.WEBSTER I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS F0 WHICH Dec. 15.1925- T H. WEBST R E AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRETS INWHICH TWO OR MORE GUNS ARE MOUNTED Filed Sept. 14. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5xi -Q THOMAS HERBERT WEBSTER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRETS EN WHICH TEVO OR MORE GUNSARE MOUNTED.

Application filed September 14, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS HERBERT WEBSTER, of British nationality, andresiding at London, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in, Ammunition Supply Apparatus for Gun Turrets in WhichTwo or More Guns are Mounted, of which the following is a specification.I

The subject of the invention is an apparatus adapted to receiveammunition from a shell room or magazine and to transfer it to each oftwo or more guns mounted in a turret independently of the supply to theother gun or guns of the turret.

Hitherto the supply of projectiles in the hatches in the trunk of aturret in which two or more guns are mounted has been efl'ectedat onelevel by an apparatus which shared the supply among two or more guns,thereby causing breaks in the stream of projectiles to any one of theguns.

The apparatus of the invention is devised to receive the projectilessupplied by ammunition hoists through hatches at two or more levels inaccordance with the number of guns mounted in the turret, and to deliverthem to hatches in the trunk of the turret at corresponding levels sothat each gun may be supplied with an unbroken stream of projectiles; inother words, separate and nonintersecting streams of projectiles aredelivered to the several hatches in the turret trunk.

A practical embodiment of the invention comprises two or moreindependent horizontal tracks in superposed relation encircling theturret trunk and presenting runways for series of trolleys adapted forthe carriage of projectiles, the trolleys of each series serving todeliver projectiles to a hatch opening into one of the turret hoists.

The superposed and independent tracks may encircle the turret trunk tothe extent only of the arc of training of the turret. joining deviouscurved tracks leading from and to the ammunition hoists.

According to a modification, for the superposed tracks with trolleystravelling thereon there are substituted superposed rotatable platforms,encircling the turret trunk, each at the level of a hatch in the trunk.

Five illustrative examples of the applica tion of the invention areshown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 and Fig. 2

Serial No. 56,324.

are views of the first example in elevation and in plan, respectively;Fig. 3 a view in elevation of the second example; Fig. 4. and F 5 viewsof the third example in elevation and in plan respectively; Fig. 0 andFig. 7 similar views of the fourth example, and Fig. 8 a plan view ofthe fifth example.

The first example, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, represents the applicationof the invention to a gun turret in which two guns are mounted. In thisexample the gun turret trunk A is encircled by two horizontal tracks A Bin superposed relatio. The tracks are independent of each other and oneach track there is a series of trolleys A B adapted to receiveprojectiles A B from one of two ammunition hoists A*, B and to deliverthese projectiles to the correspond-- ing hatches A B in the turrettrunk, each of which hatches serves one of the two guns.

The example shown in Fig. 3 differs from the first example in that theinvention is applied to a gun turret in which three guns are mounted. Inthis example three independent tracks A B C encircle the gun turrettrunk A at different levels and each of the series of trolleys A B Creceives projectiles A B C from one of three ammunition hoists A, B, Cand delivers them to the corresponding hatch A or B or C The exampleshown in Figs. 4 and 5 differs from the first example in that for theconveyance of projectiles there are provided rotatable platforms A, Bwhich, by their circular motion, convey the projectiles to theirrespective feeding hatches.

The example shown in Figs. 6 and 7 differs from the first example inthat the trolleys A B are adapted to receive and convey projectiles in ahorizontal position instead of in a vertical position.

The example shown in plan in Fig. 8 again differs from the first examplein that the tracks A B partly encircling the trunk A join more or lessdevious curved paths from and to the ammunition hoists A, E the pathspreferably entering and leaving the partly encircled trunk in what istechnically known as the dead angle i. e., the angle through which thehatches in the trunk do not normally train.

It is to be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is notlimited to the details of construction particularly described, sincemany changes may be made in the form, arrangement and mode of operationof the parts for which mechanical equivalents may be substituted Withoutde parture from the essence of the invention.

"What I claim is:

l. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, incombination with the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunkat different levels, distinct and separate paths for projectilesencircling said trunk at the levels of said hatches and of a numberequal to the number of guns, and independent means for deliveringprojectiles to said paths, whereby separate and non-intersecting streamsmay pass to the several hatches.

2. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, incombination With the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunkat different levels, superposed paths for projectiles encircling thetrunk at the levels of said hatches, and separate ammunition hoists eachleading to one of said paths.

3. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, incombination with the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunkat different levels, a plurality of ammunition hoists, one individual toeach hatch andv each having a terminal station, and independentsuperposed tracks encircling said trunk and each connecting a stationWith a hatch.

4. In ammunition supply apparatus for a multiple-gun turret, incombination with the turret trunk, a plurality of hatches in said trunkat different levels, a plurality of ammunition hoists, one hoist to eachhatch, each hoist terminating at the level of the respective hatch, andmeans for conveying projectiles from said hoists to said hatches alongindependent superposed paths encircling said trunk each at the level ofthe respective hatch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 name to this specification.

THOMAS HERBERT WEBSTER;

